their two feet of snow. traffic slowed to a crawl. power lines snapped, and work crews struggled to get the lights and heat back on for a quarter million homes and businesses. n washington forecasters predicted up to ten inches of wind-driven snow for wednesday. the winds came, the heavy snow did not. gusts up to 50 miles an hour closed the chesapeake bay bridge. this tractor trailer was nearly blown into the water. d.c. public schools were closed ahead of the storm, but temperatures above freezing left sledding hot spots more muddy brown than snow white. government offices also closed for the day, sending lawmakers home, but those looking to get out of the nation's capitol had a harder time as the snowy conditions forced the cancellation of more than 2,000 flights. but the winter blast won't last. temperatures here are expected to top 60 degrees by sunday. tara mergener for cbs news, washington. cbs weather consultant david

bernard has more on where the storm is headed and what to expect. >> it looks like our very large nor'easter is going to continue to cause problems probably for the next 24 to 48 hours. our satellite picture is indicating a very large area of low pressure right off the northeastern coastline that's going to gradually move to the northeast during the day today. now, the first aspect will be the possibility of heavy wet snow in southeastern new england. so the greatest chance of that appears to be eastern massachusetts and also rhode island. then we have to talk about coastal flooding, and that is a major problem on the south shore of new jersey, as far south as ocean city. and particularly in this area, we could have major erosion, road closures dune breaches even property damage is possible. and the next most vulnerable area, eastern massachusetts, this will get worse throughout the day and continue on into friday. some of it could be severe in spots. i'm david bernard, cbs news,

miami. well, the confirmation of john brennan as cia director could come as early as today, but it comes after a half-day holdup on the senate floor. all that while a group of gop senators talked about the budget impact over dinner with president obama. susan mcginnis is in washington with more on that. susan, good morning. >> good morning, anne-marie. kentucky senator rand paul launched an old-fashioned filibuster lasting nearly 13 hours to try to block brennan's confirmation. he says he doesn't dispute brennan's qualifications but rather he's protesting the administration's policy of using drone strikes against u.s. citizens. >> i will speak as long as it takes until the alarm has sounded from coast to coast. the constitution is important. >> rand paul took the senate floor shortly before noon and held it for nearly 13 hours. it was the first talking filibuster since 2010.

paul sought to hold up the nomination of john brennan as cia director in order to obtain answers from the obama administration on its drone policy. >> no american should be killed by a drone on american soil without first being charged with a crime, without first being found to be guilty by a court. >> paul's concerns were raised when attorney general eric holder sent him a letter saying the president could be forced to order a drone strike against a u.s. citizen on american soil if it meant stopping a catastrophic attack. before wednesday's filibuster, senators asked holder about that possibility. >> the use of drones is, from my perspective, something that is entirely, entirely hypothetical, and what i tried to say in the letter to senator paul was exactly that. >> while paul's filibuster was going on, 12 of his republican senate colleagues met president obama for dinner. the main topic at dinner wasn't drones.

it was those broad automatic budget cuts that went into effect last week. the president needs gop support to reach a so-called grand bargain on spending and taxes. senators leaving the dinner called the meeting productive. >> these are very difficult issues, but i do think there's a real fatigue in just going from crisis to crisis. >> not only is it possible, but we need to do it. that's what the american people want. it is tough. everybody has to give a little. >> and congress could be closer to beating the next big fiscal deadline. the house approved legislation on thursday to continue funding the government beyond march 27th. it would also ease the pain of those spending cuts on the defense department. that legislation, anne-marie, now moves to the senate. >> susan mcginnis in washington. thank you. this morning north korea is threatening the stage a preemptive nuclear strike against the u.s. this latest threat comes as the united nations prepares new

sanctions against the north. north korea's foreign ministry accused the u.s. of preparing to, quote, ignite a nuclear war. for now north korea does not have the capability to launch a nuclear strike against the u.s. jo and mum's the word at the vatican. the cardinals have imposed a media blackout on its members as they proceed to choose a new pope. the reasons is some of the secrets were released. danielle nottingham is in vatican city. good morning, danielle. >> good morning, anne-marie. we begin another day in vatican city unsure when the conclave will start or when we'll hear from the american cardinals again. >> reporter: good morning, anne-marie. we begin here in the vatican city unsure when the conclave will start or when we'll hear from the american calendar gnats again. the cardinals arrive at the vat cab without a word to the press this morning.

this is the fourth day of talks about what kind of man they're looking for to lead the catholic church. >> what's beginning to emerge is the profile of the next pope. >> reporter: there's still no date on when to begin the voting process known as the conclave and many cardinals say they're in no rush to end the discussions. >> when we do reach the point of selecting a pope, we will have a much fuller idea of what kind of challenges he's going to have to lead the church into. >> reporter: while talks inside the vatican walls are going at a deliberate pace, talks outside the walls have almost come to a screeching halt. >> we took our oath of confidentality. >> reporter: concerns about media leaks prompted the american cardinals to stop the daily press conferences, which were very popular with the press. >> we're very well aware of the americans' presence. they do a very good job at that.

>> reporter: but that didn't silence timothy dolan from holding his weekly radio show. >> at this particularly delicate transition in the life of the church, the college of cardinals does need some time alone in complete confidence, but the danger of that is interpreted as having something to hide. >> reporter: while the americans were the only cardinals holding daily briefings, other cardinals have given individual interviews to the media. and a spokesperson for the u.s. cardinals says this was not about the americans but about the italian papers reporting that sensitive information was being leaked about these secret proceedings. anne-marie? >> danielle nottingham in vatican city, thank you. well coming up on the "morning news," a tragedy at an animal park. a young intern working there was mauled to death by a lion. they're trying to find out why it happened. this is the "cbs morning news." by a lion. they're trying to find out why it happened. this is the "cbs morning news." i've been claritin clear for 12 days ! when your allergies start, doctors recommend taking one clinically-proven claritin

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ottawa senators wednesday. toronto's player nails dave dziurzynski on the chin knocked him out. he had to be helped off. he did not return. the senators say he has a concussion. and tragedy at an exotic park in california. 24-year-old dianna hanson was killed by a lion who had been raised there since he was 8 weeks old. it happened wednesday in dunlap and the reporter of seattle station cairo spoke to hanson's father. >> she was living her dream and she got her dream come true. >> reporter: dianna hanson's dream became her father's nightmare. since she was a little girl, she had always had an infatuation with lions. then in january she started an unpaid internship at project survivals cat haven in california.

>> she was so happy when she got that internship, she was having so much fun down there. >> reporter: the only disappointment, she told her dad was that she wasn't allowed to get closer to her favorite cat, the 4-year-old lion couscous. she had been allowed access to the tigers in bellingham. in the california sanctuary it was against the rules, but today sometime after noon she got into its cage. >> it looks like she decide god into the cage, and that's when i guess, the animal mauled her. >> reporter: another worker called the deputies who shot couscous but they could not save dianna. >> i cannot believe her life was cut short so early on. >> reporter: bran diana's friend since elementary school was stunned. >> you're so close to my heart. >> reporter: just like dianna's dad, he's trying to find comfort knowing that dianna lived

exactly as she wanted. >> it was her dream job. she was so happy there, it makes it barable she died so happy. >> investigators are still trying to determine what caused the lion to attack. the animal park has received no violations during recent inspections from state and federal wildlife officials. now, straight ahead, the results of a new gun control study, and former congresswoman gabrielle giffords returns to the scene where she was shot to make a desperate plea. the 100% natural no-calorie sweetener made from the goodness of fruit. new nectresse. sweetness naturally. [ female announcer ] let our chefs take your lettuce from drab to fab with new lean cuisine salad additions. the perfect combination of grilled chicken plump edamame ripe pineapple

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here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. new york, expect snow and rain. partly sunny in miami. chicago, a high of 36, cloudy. dallas, mostly sunny, a high of 70. los angeles, showers today. well, a new study suggests that states with more gun control laws have fewer gun-related deaths. researchers at boston's children's hospital found in states with the most gun control laws there was a 42% lower gun death rate than states with the least number of laws. now, the study's lead author is among the doctor's calling for tougher gun legislation, and a senate committee will begin discussing gun control laws today, and former congresswoman gabrielle giffords brought her fight back to tucson wednesday. she and her husband made their first public appearance at the grocery store where jared loughner opened fire two years

ago. she was wounded. six others were killed. she urged senators to support tougher gun control laws. >> be bold. be courageous. please support background checks. thank you very much. >> giffords and kelly recently founded a group aimed at stopping gun violence. on the "cbs moneywatch" now a big reward for yahoo!'s ceo. and facebook's news asian stocks were mostly gets a new look today. erica ferrari is here in new york with that and more. good morning, erica. >> good morning, anne-marie. asian stocks were mostly lower ahead of meetings of the central banks of britain and the eurozone. hong kong's hang seng lost a fraction. tokyo's nikkei rallied gaining half a percent. and one day after hitting a record high dow set another record, thanks to signs of an im imed market. the dow rose 42 points to close at 14,296. the nasdaq dropped almost 2 points. a big payday for yahoo! ceo marissa mayer.

she's only been on the job five months and will get a bonus of more than $1 million. this is in addition to her $1 million salary. since she's been at yahoo! shares have increased 40%, and the company reported its first sales increase in four years. time warner is splitting up. the company announced wednesday it's spinning off its magazine unit, which includes "time," "sports illustrated," and "people." time warner says the move will allow it to focus on its tv networks and movies. facebook is shaking things up again. they're expected to roll out a radical new look for their home page feed today. it's expected to give users access to more visual and splashier content. this comes about a month after the social network unveiled graph search which many users are still trying to understand. anne-marie? >> i just got used to their old view look. i've got to learn this whole thing again. thank you very much. care ferrar

erica ferrari here in new york. coming up in sports, the miami heat put on a show, but would their 15-game winning streak remain intact. to explore. >> but, thanks to hotwire, this year we got to take an extra trip, because they get us ridiculously low prices on really nice hotels and car rentals. >> so we hit boston in the spring-- even caught a game. >> and with the money we saved we took a trip to san francisco. >> you see, hotwire checks the competition's rates every day, so they can guarantee their low prices. >> so where to next? >> how about there? >> men: ♪ h-o-t-w-i-r-e, hotwire.com. ♪ [ female announcer ] what makes you walk a little taller? where does goddess begin? it begins with your skin... revealed by venus for a confident glow the whole world will notice. venus & olay -- gently exfoliates with 5 blades. plus olay moisture bars help lock in moisture for less dryness. only from venus & olay.

any venus cartridge fits any venus handle. that's the beauty of venus. farewell to two detecites killed in the line of duty. the turnout and process expected later today. an african lion attack at a park in the sierra. a worker is dead.. and so is the big cat. now we're learning what went wrong in the cage. and ready for another redesign? the changes coming to facebook today. join us for kpix 5 news this morning... beginning at 4:30. good morning. it's

here's a look at today's forecast in some cities around the country. warkds, clearing ow, 42 the high. atlanta, mostly sunny. partly sunny in st. louis. denver also sunny with a high of 63. seattle, expect showers. in sports, the chicago blackhawks are edging closer to history. with their game against colorado tied at 2-2, chicago's daniel carcillo scores with 49 seconds left in regulation. the blackhawks win the game 3-2, and they have now gone 30 regular season games without a loss. the record unbeaten streak in major pro sports is 35 games. and the miami heat's 15-game

winning streak was in jeopardy as well. down by a point to orlando with just seconds to go. but lebron james keeps it. he drives to the basket to score the go-ahead points with three ticks left on the clock. the heat win 97-96 for their 16th straight victory. and if college basketball is any indication, we're going to be in for a wild ncaa tournament. leading unranked georgia tech in the closing minute, but the yellow jackets get a tip-in at the buzzer to win the game, 71-69. and, finally, one nba fan hit the biggest clutch shot of the week. at halftime at tuesday's lakers sunday game, keith sank a half-court shot to win $20,000. he's a father of seven and he says he's going to use the money to pay for his wife's medical bills.

she's being treated for colon cancer. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," norah o'donnell talks with facebook executive sheryl sandberg. i'm anne-marie green. this is your "cbs morning news." this is your "cbs morning news." new revlon luxurious colorsilk buttercream™ triple butter complex for superior hair color, gorgeous texture and amazing shine. new revlon luxurious colorsilk buttercream™ [ female announcer ] this is your moment. the delightful discovery. the sweet realization that you have a moment all to yourself. well, almost.

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well, today is well, today is the 48th anniversary of bloody sunday when alabama troopers beat back civility rights protesters marching from selma to montgomery for voting rights. bill plante brings us the story of peggy wallace, daughter of former alabama governor george wallace and her own march to personal redemption. >> segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever. >> reporter: at his inauguration in 1963 alabama governor george wallace personified racist defiance of civil rights. six months later he blocked the doors of the university of alabama to prevent integration. his daughter peggy was 13 at the time. >> the problems and the challenges that came with being

the daughter of the governor who stood in the schoolhouse door to block two african-americans from going to school was very, very difficult. >> but when you were younger, did you think his earlier positions were wrong? >> my mother kept us very, very sheltered, so there were a lot of things that we didn't really know about, and so we weren't able to really think about them or have an opinion. >> peggy wallace married and raised two sons in alabama, rarely speaking about her father until she watched america elect its first black president. >> all of a sudden i just found my voice and i said i need to do something with this voice. >> she decided she would start on the edmund pettus bridge, a place where her father ordered police to a brutally attack mar chers. congressman john louis was badly beaten in that day in 1965.

for the last five years to mark the anniversary peggy has walked with lewis across the pettus bridge. >> i told him. i said i crossed many bridges in my life, and i'll cross many many more, but the most important bridge i'll ever cross in my life is the one i crossed with you in 2009. >> reporter: she's writing a book about the impact of her father's politics on his family and speaking to students and others about her personal journey. >> today i rise to condemn the politic of exclusion that runs rampant in america. >> it has to be difficult for someone who was in your position to have come to the place you've come. was it? >> yes, it has. i received a lot of criticism, a lot of hurtful criticism, and i've just moved on and i'd just like my children to not reeb where my father stood but where i am standing now.

>> reporter: bill plante cbs news montgomery, alabama. well coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning," more on president obama's dinner and talks last night with a dozen republican senators. and we'll head to san francisco where they're building and the world's smallest apartments and surfer mcnamara talks about riding the world's biggest wave. i'm anne-marie green. thanks for watching the "cbs morning news." -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com

>> your realtime captioner: linda marie macdonald hi, everyone. good morning. it is thursday, friday is approaching. it's march 7. i'm frank mallicoat. >> i'm michelle griego. time now 4:30. you're already thinking about friday. >> you know what? that's okay. the weekend is so close.

>> i can't wait for friday! [ laughter ] we are getting close. >> but we love our jobs. >> today is going to be an interesting day weather wide. high-def doppler radar is tracking showers off the coastline. a little later on that could move in toward the coast, maybe some thunderstorms, too. how about that elizabeth? >> thunderstorms. things are getting interesting. northbound 101 on the approach to the golden gate bridge they have a couple of lanes blocked. you can see the roadwork there until 5:00 this morning. more roadwork in the east and south bays, tell you about it coming up. >> saw one car. >> got to make something. two santa cruz police officers killed in the line of duty will be laid to rest today. thousands are expected to pay their respects to sergeant loran "butch" baker and detective elizabeth butler. kpix 5's anne makovec is in san jose this morning where the memorial is scheduled for noon at hp pavilion. anne. >> reporter: people from all around the country, officers from all sorts of different police departments are going to

come here in solidarity to hp pavilion here behind me. the capacity is 18,000 people. they are expecting about 15,000. now, last night there was a public viewing, a memorial service, at santa cruz memorial funeral home. friends, family, fellow officers and people who didn't even know the officers came to pay respects and say good-bye. detective sergeant loran "butch" baker and detective elizabeth butler were shot and killed last week while questioning jeremy goulet about a sexual assault. goulet was later killed by other responding officers. but today it is all about baker and butler. >> they've given so much to the community. and to be taken like that, severe tragedy. >> i just respect them and care for them, and i know this is a loss of a brother and a sister. >> reporter: the service today is being held